BanglaCricket Article

Every organization has a specific goal, and that is to earn profit. If we look at a team and an organization, then we have to come to a conclusion that a good team can be largely compared to an organization. Now let us look into the Bangladesh cricket team. If a team that does not have a goal, they do not have a purpose. What is their goal? What is their purpose? Obviously, it is to win, to win for BANGLADESH.

A Target

by F Waliullah

Published: 25th February, 2004

Every organization has a specific goal, and that is to earn profit. If we look at a team and an organization, then we have to come to a conclusion that a good team can be largely compared to an organization. Now let us look into the Bangladesh cricket team. If a team that does not have a goal, they do not have a purpose. What is their goal? What is their purpose? Obviously, it is to win, to win for BANGLADESH.

However, from the cricketing point of view, we just cannot get into a series, a match and say that 'we will win this series, or this match', as there is a very big gap between the teams that Bangladesh plays and the Bangaldesh team itself, so we cannot just go into a match or a specific time period and say that we will this match or we will win after such and such time.

That is why we have to build a specific target, or rather, a more REALISTIC target. Lets face it, we cannot just expect Bangladesh to win a match after a space of only two days' gap against almost the same side that we were beaten by 180 odd runs. It, just isn't possible. Nobody can radically improve that much.

What Bangladesh can do, however, is that they can try to survive for more than 150 overs or around about, for twice in the same match. But that depends very much on how Bangladesh team plays, as well as how the opposing team plays.

Now, let us get into the mold of the realistic target; we all know from the words of cricket experts that a One-Day match closes the gap between two teams and on any given day, a weaker team can beat a stronger team. Zimbabwe, as history tells us, is a much stronger One-Day team than a test team. Yet, the uncertainty of cricket could get into Bangladesh's playing and there is a distinct possibility of an ODI win.

However, these are words of many Bangladeshi cricket fans, who desperately want to see Bangladesh to win something, anything, in an Internatinal match.

The most realistic and the most possible target that Bangladesh certainly has the ability to achieve, is an ODI win against an ICC Associate nation during the Asia Cup coming up in July. However, we have seen it from our very cruel and recent past that it is too difficult a task to 'just' win an International match even against a much weaker team; yes, you have guessed right - Canada during the world cup 2003, though Bangladesh is said to be improving a great deal after those horrible times. This is also a very difficult job because of the statistical fact that Bangladesh have not won a match, either an ODI or a Test for more than four years. The schedule of the Asia Cup is still not fixed yet, but let us hope that there will be only one group where each team will face the other once. And, let us all hope that Bangladesh will play against both UAE and Hong Kong.

So this is very important for Bangladesh to try and EARN a victory against a stronger team before it is time to face a weaker opponent, a team that we MUST beat. Yes, Bangladesh has only recently beaten Namibia in their home, and also Zimbabwe 'A' in a 3-day match. And yes, we all hope that the Bangladesh team will at least get the chance to beat either UAE or Hong Kong, if not both of them, and will comfortably beat them in the actual ODIs.

But for all that to happen, the preparation has to start RIGHT NOW; yes, from this test match, against a much stronger opposition in Zimbabwe. If the Bangladesh team can come close to winning this test match, if not actually win this match; it will be easier for Bangladesh in the up-coming matches.